Puck Daddy

If you need yet another example of why wearing a visor is a good idea, Nate Thompson of the Tampa Bay Lightning gave a sudden and unexpected demonstration of how and what it protects on Saturday when a Mike Green slapshot hit him in the head, decimating his visor and cutting him.

A warning for those of you that don't like blood: you won't like what's falling out of Thompson's face in this video:

Good Lord. That's just... augh.

Now, sure, the thing shattered, leaving Thompson with the cut on the side of his head. But if he's not wearing that thing, we're talking about a shattered orbital bone. That seems like a reasonable trade.

It seems even more reasonable when you consider that, while Thompson left for some repairs, he returned for the second period. Safe to say he's not back so soon if this puck isn't obstructed by the piece of plastic he wears over his eyes.

Marc Staal can attest to that. The visor debate flared up again this year when Staal suffered a gruesome eye injury March 5th after being hit with a puck. He has yet to return to action, but he's close, and when he returns, he says it will be with a visor. Here's hoping that, between Staal and now Thompson, more NHLers decide to don one before they have to experience why they're necessary firsthand.